


Melting Over a Professor, But I'm Really Not!

by rainbowRamen



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Edelgard is a gay disaster and refuses to admit it, F/F, Fluff, I Tried, TLDR of the story:, it's fine though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21742594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowRamen/pseuds/rainbowRamen
Summary: Sometimes, big mistakes can lead to big realizations. Edelgard learns this the hard (maybe?) way, because she likes Byleth. She really, actually does. A lot. If she'd just admit it, she'd be happy, but Edelgard is absolutely not in love with her professor.Totally not. She justlikesByleth, okay?!(Dorothea thinks otherwise.)
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 176





	Melting Over a Professor, But I'm Really Not!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostinyouruniverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinyouruniverse/gifts).



> An early note: The formatting for the chatlogs is quite weird, so it only shows up correctly on a laptop or computer, it looks wonky otherwise. My apologies! >_<
> 
> ANYWAY! First of all, this is dedicated to Lily! I am so sorry for writing this and the Eldritch abomination that you are about to read, and I am SO SORRY that this took so long oh my fucking god
> 
> Edelgard is a gay disaster and it's glorious. I hope y'all enjoy, and happy reading! <3

"Edie...you're hopeless."

Edelgard groans, putting her head down on the table, "I don't know what to _do_ , Dorothea! She's just so pretty, and she's so kind and I'm--"

"--In love?" Dorothea finishes for her, an eyebrow raised suggestively. Her best friend, just sitting across her at the small round table, groans.

"No, I'm not in love with her, okay?" Edelgard's cheeks redden, and she wants to scream at Dorothea's insistence that she's in love, because she's not! "I like her, but I don't love her! She's just...a very pleasant person to be around. "

Leaning back in her chair, Dorothea just giggles, "Whatever you say."

They're currently sitting in a coffee shop just across the road from their college. How they got to this topic, Edelgard doesn't know, but she DOES know that Dorothea won't let it slide, now that the brunette has the opportunity.

Professor Byleth, is the name of the person they're talking about. The psychology teacher at Garreg Mach College, and an absolute enigma. Though she's very nice, yet stern at times, sometimes she shows no emotion whatsoever, making it hard for people to read her.

And to Edelgard, she's the most beautiful person the student has ever laid eyes on.

Those deep blue eyes, seeming to shine every time she addresses her students, that gentle personality that seems to draw everyone in, soft teal hair that perfectly frames her face, her _unfairly_ attractive body that rivals even the goddess's...

"Uh-oh, Edie? Thinking about her again?"

Dorothea's _suspiciously_ gleeful giggling cuts through Edelgard's thoughts of her professor, causing her to jump in her chair. "N-no, of course not! What are you talking about?"

Taking another large drink of her tea, Dorothea lets out a drawn-out sigh. "You know, it's alright to think about her," She gestures dramatically with her hands, "oh, how wonderful it is to be in love!"

"Dorothea!!" Edelgard shushes, a very obvious blush forming on her face, "Not so loud! And I told you, I'm not in love!"

"Oh, fine," Dorothea tsks. "If you're that adamant about it, I won't pry."

Edelgard sighs in relief, "Thank god, finally."

Suddenly, Dorothea shoots up from her chair, startling Edelgard, "BUT! I have an idea."

The sight of Dorothea taking her phone from the table and swiping around for a bit does nothing to soothe Edelgard's worries.

" _What_ are you doing?"

Dorothea laughs softly as she types on the screen for a few more seconds. Mere moments later, they both hear it buzz, and before Edelgard can ask her what's going on, she shows the screen to the shorter girl.

**_Tuesday, 10th December, 2019_ **

**_Dorothea has started a conversation with Professor Byleth._ **

**_[4:41PM] Hey, Professor! Dorothea here. I'd like to ask you something!_ **

**_[Dorothea...? How'd you get my number? And sure, ask away._ ** **_[4:43PM_ **

**_[4:43PM] Edie wants to see you for some reason she won't tell me about, but she didn't have the heart to ask you!_ **

**_[I suppose I could do that. Would after class tomorrow work?_ ** **_[4:44PM_ **

**_[4:45PM] Perfect! Thank you, Professor! <3_ **

Edelgard stares at the screen, dumbfounded, before the realization sinks in. Her face goes even redder than it'd been before.

"Dorothea," She starts calmly, then suddenly raising her voice, "WHAT. DID. YOU. **DO.** "

"Congrats, Edie! You've scored yourself step one of winning Professor Byleth's heart," Dorothea seems completely unfazed, winking. "I look forward to hearing the results! I know how oblivious she can be, I guess you'll have to try something more _daring_."

Edelgard knows that Dorothea is right - Byleth's obliviousness...it's absolutely frustrating. The professor never seems to catch on, no matter the subtle things she tries to get Byleth's attention. She has to do _something_ , if she wants to get Dorothea to stop talking about it, for the love of god...but what?

Not knowing what else to do or say, she just buries her face in her hands in a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation.

* * *

The next day's classes pass by quickly, and the whole time all Edelgard could think about had been Byleth. She can't believe she's actually doing this...!

Heart pounding, she approaches the door of the classroom, where Byleth is probably waiting for her. She grasps onto the gold-painted doorknob with shaking fingers, and pushes the door open carefully, slowly. She grows more nervous when she steps in, door shutting closed behind her. Sure enough, Byleth is there, turning around to face Edelgard.

"Ah, Edelgard," she smiles, making said student's heart beat faster than it already is, "I heard from Dorothea that you wanted to see me?"

_Goddammit, Dorothea, I can't-!!_

Edelgard nods, "Indeed. I actually wanted to..." The silence that hangs in the air unnerves her. Especially when Byleth's just patiently waiting for her. "Uh..."

The words fail to leave her mouth, much to her frustration. She thinks about everything she talked about with Dorothea yesterday.

_"How wonderful it is to be in love!"_

In love...is she actually in love? There's no way, right? No, she isn't! Absolutely not.

_"It's alright to think about her, you know?"_

Then what are these emotions she feels when she looks at Byleth? She can't even look at the teacher directly in the eyes - how does _that_ work? Even now, her heart is pounding, and it's only getting louder and louder. How does she describe the warmth she feels when she sees Byleth's beautiful smile, why does she even think that way?

No, no, she only _likes_ Byleth. She's not into love, or anything of the sort!

"Edelgard...?"

Still, Edelgard should at least tell her.

"My apologies, Professor, I don't know if now is an appropriate time to discuss what's on my mind. Could we meet to talk about it again...somewhere quiet, preferably?"

The words fall out before she can stop herself, and only after she says it does she realize that she might've made a very, _very_ big mistake.

Byleth smiles, "Of course. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"Seiros Coffee, perhaps? It's just across the college building, and it's usually quite peaceful. We could meet during the weekend, just so we're not too preoccupied with work."

"That sounds good," she nods, "would you be free at around 3PM...on Saturday?"

It's moving too fast for Edelgard to keep up with. "Yes, that works for me. Thank you very much, Professor, I'll see you on Saturday!"

She spins around, waving goodbye to Byleth as she does so, and quickly bolts out the door, the weight of what just happened crashing down on her all at once. 'Very big' doesn't even begin to describe the fact that she might've just asked her teacher out on what could come off as a _date_ _._ And why did she accept so easily...?

As soon as Edelgard's out of the classroom, she pulls out her phone.

_**Wednesday, 11th December, 2019** _

_**Conversation with: Dorothea** _

_**[3:10PM] Dorothea. I have a crisis on my hands.** _

Edelgard gulps when she sees the 'typing...' bubble pop up on Dorothea's side. The reply comes only seconds after.

 _**[Edie! How did your little meeting with Professor Byleth go?** _ _**[3:11PM**_

 _**[And what happened?? :0** _ _**[3:11PM** _

_**[3:12PM] I didn't know what to say because YOU were the one who set up this 'meeting' in the first place, so I told her that I would prefer to discuss it with her properly...in a more quiet environment...** _

_**[3:12PM]** _ _**She accepted, by the way. Scarily quickly.** _

**_[Ooh, get it, Edie! No, seriously, congrats. It seems like step two of Operation: Get Edie to Confess is underway!_ ** **_[3:13PM_ **

**_[3:14PM] Dorothea, I'm not kidding! She must think I'm a complete idiot._ **

**_[Yeah, I kinda agree, not gonna lie. You need to get out of denial._ ** **_[3:15PM_ **

**_[3:15PM] No. I told you, I'm not in love!_ **

**_[Sure, whatever, TOTALLY not INFATUATED with the Professor..._ ** **_[3:16PM_ **

**_[I've gotta go, but do let me know how your little date goes! Heehee~_ ** **_[3:16PM_ **

Switching off her phone and placing it back in her pocket, Edelgard sighs to herself as she walks down the hallway. Many students still linger around the building as usual, and though sometimes she'd stop to talk to a few of her other friends, she doesn't pay attention to them and just walks straight out towards the bus station. After all that, she really needs to go home, sit her ass down, and seriously contemplate her next actions. This is not a date, she reminds herself, it's _not a date!_

* * *

Edelgard glances over her shoulder at the countless pieces of clothing, neatly spread out on her every inch of her bed. From shirts, sweaters, jeans, skirts, and even dresses, there's every combination imaginable. Narrowing what she wants to wear to her 'date' down is so much harder than she expected. Why is she having so much trouble, it's just an outing!

Earlier, she'd texted Dorothea, asking for some assistance, and she'd insisted on returning from her part-time job early (with her boss' permission, of course) to help her choose an outfit, much to the latter's slight frustration.

"This isn't gonna work, not this, not that...oh!"

Dorothea's voice prompts her to look back over at what the brunette is up to. After a bit of digging into Edelgard's closet, Dorothea pulls out a dress that, on closer inspection, would barely reach her knees, let alone Edelgard's. "You'd definitely get her to notice in this."

"Dorothea!" Edelgard snatches the dress back and throws it into the closet, "I don't want her to notice!"

"You don't?"

Edelgard's face goes red. "No! Wait, yes I do-no! I mean no! I mean-" She lets out a groan of frustration, snatching out a much less noticeable, much longer dress.

"No way, that's too long." Frowning, Dorothea takes the dress back, carelessly tossing it back into the closet, and pulls out another one. "Let's try this one!"

Practically scrutinizing the frilly red dress that her friend has in her hands, Edelgard relents after a few seconds, reluctantly taking the piece of clothing from Dorothea.

"I suppose this one's better than all the others you've picked. I'll go get changed, be right back."

As she makes her way to the bathroom, shutting the door with a soft sigh, she wonders if a part of her consciously wants to impress Byleth. Shaking her head, she instantly chases the thought out.

_This is NOT a date._

The more she tells herself that, though, the more it feels like her own mind is constantly betraying her. Hesitantly, she picks up the beautiful dress lying on the bathroom countertop, and a long-sleeved black sweater that had been hanging on the wall hook. She doesn't particularly like the idea of _just_ the dress, even as she's trying it, tying the ribbon at the back, but she feels a little more comfortable when she slips the sweater on.

And when she steps out, Dorothea is instantly all over it, gushing with delight.

"Oh, Edie, that's perfect! Now, all you need is something to take your 'notice-able' factor to the maximum so you can finally win Byleth's heart!" She walks over to a small box sitting on her dresser, opening it to reveal a plethora of hair accessories that doesn't really see much use. Looking over the messy selection for a second, she picks up an elegant hairpin in the shape of a butterfly, shining rubies embedded within the pristine silver. She smiles to herself, stepping over to Edelgard and pinning it to the side of her head, prettily adorning her silver-blonde hair. Dorothea hums in approval.

"Dorothea, I don't want to be noticed--"

"You look beautiful, Edie! You simply must look at yourself." She ignores Edelgard's protest completely, pulling her over to the mirror.

When Edelgard looks at herself, the result is more surprising than she would've thought. The dress borders the line between cute and daring, a combination she would've never thought she would like, a cut in the dress exposing a good portion of her legs. Black apparently looks REALLY good on red, too, the sweater adding a dash of variety to her outfit. The shining silver piece in her hair glitters prettily every time she moves, and she thinks it makes her stand out all the more.

"I...this does look very nice. Thank you, Dorothea."

Dorothea only giggles, "Anytime for you! Now get out there and win yourself a Professor Byleth!"

Grumbling something about 'only liking her', Edelgard quickly pulls on her favorite pair of stockings and shoes, slings on a small bag, and looks in the mirror one last time. She would never admit it, but she looks really good!

It's _not a date_ , she reminds herself, and she's not in love!

* * *

Byleth sighs to herself as she takes another look in the mirror by the house entrance. Her outfit isn't complicated by any means - a blue jacket over a white shirt and black jeans, in fact, she wonders if it's _too_ simple.

Those thoughts again. She can't help but keep thinking about Edelgard. For a long time, Byleth had been struggling with her emotions concerning the student. She can easily say she likes Edelgard as a student - she's hardworking, diligent, and smart. Maybe she likes her as something more. Though, Byleth hasn't tried to express them openly. As a child, she wasn't taught these things, leaving her confused and not knowing what to do, but to wait and see what happens.

So, when Edelgard asked her whether they could meet up again outside of class, she'd been extremely happy and excited about it, but it never showed on her face. Byleth only hopes that it didn't seem like she accepted Edelgard's invitation out of obligation.

When she stands up, she makes sure to take an umbrella with her on the way out, just in case the weather decides to say 'fuck you and your date'. She paces about, seemingly unable to take her mind off Edelgard. Why can't she stop thinking about her? Could it be...that Byleth's always been in love with her without even realizing it?

Perhaps not. Edelgard is her student, and she adores all of her pupils. Maybe it's just as simple as that?

...No. She remembers her father's stories about when he had first met her mother. She remembers how he happy he looked when he talked about her. She remembered how even Manuela, who teaches a completely different class, had pointed out how happy she had looked after her meeting with Edelgard. It's not just simple pride and adoration for her student.

It's _love_. She _loves_ Edelgard.

The question now, is how to get it across. She isn't a rocket scientist, so rearranging the stars to spell it out is a bad idea. Perhaps she should just wait and see, like she's always done. Goddess knows that usually works when it comes to everything else in her life.

In any event, Edelgard's waiting for her. She takes a deep breath, walks over to the door, and pushes it open. It would look bad for her to be late.

* * *

Without Dorothea around, Edelgard feels a bit lonely, walking down the pavement alone. She hums a tune she always hears Dorothea singing, passing by various houses of so many different shapes and sizes. Most of them aren't anything special, red-roofed, painted mostly white, a garden of considerable size outside at the yard. The same style of homes continues down the rest of the lane, her eyes following each one as she walks, wondering what kind of people live behind each door.

Well, all of the houses are _mostly_ the same, she realizes, finding herself in front of a house unlike the others. This one has a deep blue roof, and although it's mostly white like the rest of the area, there's a lot more blue, or any other color, really, compared to the dull coloration of the small, humble buildings. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Huh," Edelgard muses out loud, though to no one in particular, "whoever lives here must be very interesting. These color combinations are...rather nice, actually."

Thinking nothing else of it, she's about to leave and continue walking when the door of the same blue-covered house opens, causing her to pause. She wonders who lives in it--

And oh. _Oh_ , does she regret it.

A certain woman with messy teal hair steps out not even a second later, sending Edelgard into an immediate frenzy.

_Oh God, that's Byleth. Maybe I should just turn around and say I wasn't well, but I've already walked this far and I don't want to walk back-_

"Ah, Edelgard? What a coincidence." Before she can even decide on her next course of action, Byleth is already by her side, a small smile on her face.

Edelgard freezes up, said smile only worsening her situation.

_Professor smiled...she smiled!! She's so pretty, what do I do?!_

She chokes, fake-coughing to cover it up. When Byleth gives her a puzzled look, she shakes her head, "I'm okay. Y-yes, I certainly didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, that's perfect timing, isn't it?" Byleth laughs softly, causing invisible steam to rise from Edelgard's head, god she's so attractive! "We could walk to the café together. How about that?"

"I...would not be opposed to that. Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

Edelgard can feel her face heating up, but even more than that, because the world is apparently determined to make this day even more awkward for her, a rumble of thunder suddenly echoes around them. No more than a few seconds later, an even louder rumble goes off, the sound deep and threatening. Must be the weather's way of saying, 'Hey, you should cool down a little.'

Byleth looks up, blinking at a very dark sky, then turns her attention back to Edelgard. "Got an umbrella?"

"Unfortunately not. Goddess, why now of all times..." Edelgard regrets not bringing one with her, she must've forgot in what was absolutely not her excitement to get going. The professor pauses for a moment, then reaches into her bag to pull out a large navy-blue umbrella.

"Would you like to share?"

More steam shoots out from Edelgard as her face goes red at the implications. That means...she'll be walking beside Byleth! But she'll get wet if she doesn't, she doesn't want to ruin her outfit, what should she...?!

_Ahh, to hell with this!_

"Please. I...um, I don't want to get wet."

As she steps under the shelter of the umbrella, absolutely freaking out on the inside. The adrenaline courses through her very blood, she's dangerously _close_ to Byleth. At that very moment, the rain decides to be a bitch and start falling. Starting off as a soft drizzle, it quickly evolves into a 'normal' rain, then an absolute storm, in the span of what feels like milliseconds.

It's nothing compared to the speed at which warmth blooms within Edelgard's chest, an obvious blush on her face. The heartrate at which her heart is beating increases so rapidly, it feels like it could burst at any time. Even more so when Byleth reaches for her hand, gently grasping onto it, almost protectively. She looks down at Edelgard, lips curling up in a smile.

"Let's go."

Edelgard doesn't even reply, only nodding frantically. Her body instinctively moves closer, to the point where they're brushing against each other with each movement. She'll get all drenched if she doesn't stick to Byleth...but it's not like she doesn't want to, anyway!

Wait. If it's raining, then why is it so warm?

"Everything okay, Edelgard?"

"Yes!" She instantly answers, perhaps a little too loudly by the way Byleth looks at her...why are her eyes so pretty? This isn't fair! "I mean, yes, I am fine. Just disappointed in the weather."

Byleth decides not to pry, letting out a small 'hm' instead as they set off walking.

From the very start of the trip, even their steps seem perfectly coordinated. Although it's quiet between them for a while, Edelgard can't even look at her properly without her face heating up even more. Why is she getting so flustered? And now that they're close to each other, she can't help but notice the smile on Byleth's face - she's never made an expression like that before, not ever. What would she be thinking of, that causes her to smile like that?

...Could it be her?

Why is she so concerned about all of this? Why? Every time she looks at Byleth, or even thinks of her, it feels like she would burst into flames. What could possibly be the reason for any of this?

"Edelgard?"

"Yes, Byleth--Professor! I mean Professor-"

"Byleth is fine." And Edelgard feels her heart leap into her mouth, and in a single moment of clarity, realizes something. Dorothea's right. She's always been.

"O-of course, Byleth."

What a fool she's been all this time. Of course, the answer just _has_ to be something she's so vehemently pushed away. She briefly looks back up at Byleth, red staining her cheeks. Heart hammering in her chest, her grip on Byleth's hand grows tighter. She doesn't want to let go.

But...she'll never tell Byleth about it. She likes...no, she loves Byleth, but there's no way she'll ever say it!

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT A WAY TO END IT RIP MY CREATIVITY AHAHAHA
> 
> I would like to give a big shoutout to [Uly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulysses_Quanta) for helping me beta this, you're an absolute lifesaver! >^<
> 
> Aaaaand like I always say on my end notes, thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and until the next time we meet, goodbye!


End file.
